In our industrial society, devices often contain substances that may leak or spill undesirably onto other devices, personally, or the environment. For example, batteries may be stored on battery racks or other structures where the batteries serve as a backup power supply for data communication centers and computers. These batteries may contain acidic or alkaline substances that may leak or spill onto other batteries, cables, equipment, and other devices as well as personnel, thereby posing a hazard to people and property. Sulfuric acid, commonly found in batteries, is an extremely hazardous material regulated by the federal, state and local governments. With respect to batteries, Article 64 of the Uniform Fire Code requires a four-inch high containment barrier with an acid neutralization capability to a pH of 7-9. Similarly, other devices that may use spill containment systems include, but are not limited to, air conditioning units that may drip water from condensation or leak Freon, or water heaters that may leak water.
Therefore, the inventor has found that it is desirable to contain leaks and spills from hazardous devices such as batteries. While spill containment systems exist, the existing systems need to be improved. For example, storage space for battery backup systems is precious and as companies become increasingly dependent on computers, their need for storing a greater number of batteries increases. Thus, companies utilizing battery backup systems would like to be able to store as many batteries as they can in their space, such as a warehouse or basement or other rooms. Some of the rooms may have structures that obstruct the floor space (such as columns); others may have non-rectangular areas. Battery spill containment systems preferably should be able to be installed in virtually any of these diverse rooms. The systems should also be able to be installed quickly and easily in a given space at a low cost, and with minimal effort and time. Additionally, the rails of the spill containment systems should provide a reinforced and secure environment around the perimeter of the batteries.
Therefore, the inventor has found that it is desirable to have improved designs of a battery spill containment system that permits a greater number of batteries to be stored in a given space, easy access to the batteries, increased safety, and modularity of designs.